ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · prune · snap · lash · coach · key · capital · ruler

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com